NEE
Encyclopedia
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium
, where voting is compulsory
.
The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp. The idea of the protest party was started by a group of young people, who felt that their local community had lost confidence in the Belgian politicians and their intentions. NEE first participated in the municipal elections of 2006
and ran for a second time in the 2007 Belgian general election
.
The members of the NEE group went in a non-political direction after the 2007 elections, working on a movie project, and a fictional suicide blog, among other activities.
It is unclear if a return to political activity is planned.
, not voting for a candidate does not have that effect, because election results do not mention blank votes. Blank votes are eventually distributed among the existing parties. Quoting NEE's original manifesto
(translated from the Dutch text):
It must be noted that NEE does not campaign to encourage such electoral behavior. The party mocks the electoral promises of the mainstream political parties and provides open criticism when it feels politicians are playing tricks otherwise acting in an undesirable manner. However, their propaganda flyers and media clearly discourage voting for them if one is happy with the current state of politics or with a certain party.
Many people voting for NEE would be a sign that Belgian democracy
was in bad condition, and NEE would rather see a healthy democracy.
Although NEE aims to channel the negative feelings of the citizens, they do not feel this means they can not be a constructive movement. They hope their message will bring self-reflection and a new positive energy that encourages honesty and real motivation in the political landscape, rather than treating the elections as a popularity contest.
NEE does not have a party ideology in the classical sense, where opinions about important social, economical, ethical, ecological and policy topics are stated. That is why they want to call themselves a 'protest movement' promoting a higher level of democracy and free speech, rather than a 'party'.
- are financially rewarded for every seat they obtain in parliament
. Empty seats would also be a more realistic representation of the voter's opinion, considering that the voter did not want to support any actual politician.
The party organises its campaign
s mainly through the internet
. Besides an internet campaign, small scaled, sometimes satirical actions are organised in NEE's hometown, Antwerp.
NEE attracted international attention when its lead candidate for the Senate
in the 2007 Belgian general election, Tania Derveaux, posed naked in an ad that promised to create 40,000 jobs. The ad was intended as a parodic attack on other parties that made claims about job creation that NEE considered ridiculous. According to the NEE website, she received back requests which were not for jobs, but for blowjobs. In response, NEE posted advertisements and a form on its website offering the opportunity to subscribe for one of the 40,000 blowjobs Tania would offer.
Eventually the promised blowjobs were given out virtually, by posting a (now unavailable) video clip on Youtube
. An actress, Lin Chong, entitled as Tania's blowjob assistant, made gestures in the video as if she was performing oral sex on the viewer.
, but no candidate was elected.
In the general elections of 2007, NEE scored 0.18% for the Senate, which was not enough to obtain a seat.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, where voting is compulsory
Compulsory voting
Compulsory voting is a system in which electors are obliged to vote in elections or attend a polling place on voting day. If an eligible voter does not attend a polling place, he or she may be subject to punitive measures such as fines, community service, or perhaps imprisonment if fines are unpaid...
.
The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp. The idea of the protest party was started by a group of young people, who felt that their local community had lost confidence in the Belgian politicians and their intentions. NEE first participated in the municipal elections of 2006
Belgian municipal elections, 2006
The Belgian provincial and municipal elections, 2006 took place on Sunday 8 October 2006. The electors have elected the municipal counsellors of 589 cities and towns as well as the ten provincial councils...
and ran for a second time in the 2007 Belgian general election
Belgian general election, 2007
The 2007 Belgian general election took place on Sunday 10 June 2007. Voters went to the polls in order to elect new members for the Chamber of Representatives and Senate.Eligible voters were Belgian citizens 18 years and older...
.
The members of the NEE group went in a non-political direction after the 2007 elections, working on a movie project, and a fictional suicide blog, among other activities.
It is unclear if a return to political activity is planned.
Mission
NEE has the aim of offering people who disagree with the views of all present political parties the opportunity to express their disapproval in a tangible way; by voting for NEE they are deducting votes for real political parties. In the Belgian system of compulsory votingCompulsory voting
Compulsory voting is a system in which electors are obliged to vote in elections or attend a polling place on voting day. If an eligible voter does not attend a polling place, he or she may be subject to punitive measures such as fines, community service, or perhaps imprisonment if fines are unpaid...
, not voting for a candidate does not have that effect, because election results do not mention blank votes. Blank votes are eventually distributed among the existing parties. Quoting NEE's original manifesto
Manifesto
A manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature. Manifestos relating to religious belief are generally referred to as creeds. Manifestos may also be life stance-related.-Etymology:...
(translated from the Dutch text):
"If you vote for us, (...) you are clearly raising your middle finger to all political parties who, according to you, cheat their voters. (...) There is a chronic shortage of competent people who have the goodwill to use their expertise for the common good. Politicians would rather use their expertise for personal benefit. Every vote for NEE is a powerful signal to those politicians, a signal that says: we will not put up with your anti-social and egoistical leadership anymore."
It must be noted that NEE does not campaign to encourage such electoral behavior. The party mocks the electoral promises of the mainstream political parties and provides open criticism when it feels politicians are playing tricks otherwise acting in an undesirable manner. However, their propaganda flyers and media clearly discourage voting for them if one is happy with the current state of politics or with a certain party.
Many people voting for NEE would be a sign that Belgian democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
was in bad condition, and NEE would rather see a healthy democracy.
Although NEE aims to channel the negative feelings of the citizens, they do not feel this means they can not be a constructive movement. They hope their message will bring self-reflection and a new positive energy that encourages honesty and real motivation in the political landscape, rather than treating the elections as a popularity contest.
NEE does not have a party ideology in the classical sense, where opinions about important social, economical, ethical, ecological and policy topics are stated. That is why they want to call themselves a 'protest movement' promoting a higher level of democracy and free speech, rather than a 'party'.
Platform
Originally the party stated that elected NEE members would occupy their seat and vote against every proposition made. This strategy was changed and subsequently claimed that elected members would not fill an active role, instead leaving seats empty as a 'none of the above' option to allow dissatisfied voters a chance to sanction the other parties, which - in BelgiumBelgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
- are financially rewarded for every seat they obtain in parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
. Empty seats would also be a more realistic representation of the voter's opinion, considering that the voter did not want to support any actual politician.
The party organises its campaign
Political campaign
A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making process within a specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, wherein representatives are chosen or referendums are decided...
s mainly through the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. Besides an internet campaign, small scaled, sometimes satirical actions are organised in NEE's hometown, Antwerp.
Election campaign
Belgian Senate
The Belgian Senate is one of the two chambers of the bicameral Federal Parliament of Belgium, the other being the Chamber of Representatives. It is considered to be the "upper house" of the Federal Parliament.-History and future:...
in the 2007 Belgian general election, Tania Derveaux, posed naked in an ad that promised to create 40,000 jobs. The ad was intended as a parodic attack on other parties that made claims about job creation that NEE considered ridiculous. According to the NEE website, she received back requests which were not for jobs, but for blowjobs. In response, NEE posted advertisements and a form on its website offering the opportunity to subscribe for one of the 40,000 blowjobs Tania would offer.
Eventually the promised blowjobs were given out virtually, by posting a (now unavailable) video clip on Youtube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. An actress, Lin Chong, entitled as Tania's blowjob assistant, made gestures in the video as if she was performing oral sex on the viewer.
Election results
In the municipal elections of 2006, the party received 1.51% of the votes for the Antwerp city councilCity council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
, but no candidate was elected.
In the general elections of 2007, NEE scored 0.18% for the Senate, which was not enough to obtain a seat.
See also
- Belgian Federal ParliamentBelgian Federal ParliamentThe Belgian Federal Parliament is a bicameral parliament. It consists of the Chamber of Representatives and the Senate . It sits in the Palace of the Nation .- Chamber of Representatives :...
- Politics of BelgiumPolitics of BelgiumPolitics of Belgium takes place in a framework of a federal, parliamentary, representative democratic, constitutional monarchy, whereby the King of the Belgians is the Head of State and the Prime Minister of Belgium is the head of government in a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by...
- Political parties in Belgium
External links
- NEE party website (English version, defunct) (archived link)
- movieLOL film production website